Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-08-06
OLD FORT WASHINGTON.
Charms of the spot Where the CONT
mental ARMY Was shattered.


/ tisito- who walks ont the road Leading 10
! North Wale., il N~n'g0'ucty county, viii zee
on the brow Of the hill E.@toF "o'nmpndS this
road the remains OF the fort saws r. Phta-
d>lpha Press. All that is left in these DAYS
10 years since Washington forewarned,
directed the building of she fort that bears
bis nanc-is grass-covered mound Of earth
forming three sides oi a square. twenty by
tr-rt-tFo eatds, seven feet in height at the
south angie.
Tie sun was beating hotiy dom = tie IN.
dulatine spread Of rich farming coGnt,y
yesterday, when the visitor climbed the
grassy hillside. All traces of the ditch that
once surrounded the fort have been effaced
bv the elements and hy the trsmpliug of the
feet of the tn usands OF visitors who have
climbed the hillside TO see the place where
Ten. "ashipgton's army weak and demon
allied from the defeat A. Herusrtrwn, were
saved from surprise and capture a. 'h. then
most critical period in the history Of the young
republic.
Near :he highes; points on the esrhworks
there is great cne.fJ '-re. The fruit had
ripened, and hung in crimson 1,-s'ers as
the visitor sat Ia Its shade yesterday aud
looked off over the fertile lowlands. To the
east the top of Camp Hill can be seen where
the regular army was encamped. A hand
some residence now crowns its summit.
Then there is a stretch to the southwark Of
fields rich in growing crops. Eige Hill and
the big furnace greet the eye as It locis. still
further south, and like threads of silver the
rails Of .hc Ncrth Pennsylvania railroad stretch
away in the distance. IRELAND valley is also
seen. Four miles further off are tSe aUires
of churches and the turreted roofs of hand
some country residences This is Chestnut
Hin. Philadelpha's most beautiful suburban
tow
To the left is BtIttu hill marked by sin
gle church spire. This tEct ssli tafsyettc
hill now, from the fact that Marquis &c fsf--
yette and his division of the army once occti
pied it as a lookout station. Here it was that
he was nearly captured BY the British, and
bad it not been for Capt. Story, who lived at
Whtemarsh, Lafayette's career would have
had q STddcn termination. Story saw the
British troops marching al night along the
Skippack road leading 10 Barren hib. With
out hat or coat. he started TO warn IGfaTc tie
Another minuteman TO whom Story told .te
American troops to be Withdrawn across the
Schuylill at Matson's ford now CoDshocken.
Rising sharply from the edge of the rOmatic
Wissahickon is Militia hill where are the ru-
ms of ap old mekiin, where the first lime
stone was burned in PENNSYLVANIA two hum
bred years ago. st. Thomas Ep scopal church
crowns the top of Church hill. just before us,
whilst down in the valley is an old farm
house, built In the English style, part stone
and part imported brick! The place has wide
halls anil open jreplaces and is owned by at
English gentleman who has given il the name
OF Hope Lodge. During the Revolution the
pretty daughter of the tOry owner of this
house had for lover al officer of the CONT
mental armv. His suit discouraged he, like
knight OF the olden time, kidnapped his pref
" sweet heart and married her. Their de-
scendauts yet live in the beautiful valley.
Past here the road leads that once resound-
ed with the rumble of the Conestoga wagons,
the forerunner OF steam railroads,-and
near by is the "Whtrmarsh House, the
noted stopping place on the old stage route
between Bethlehem and Philadelphia. A mile
below is Valley Green. known as Morg antown
in l1S4. Near bv S the old mill where fifty
years ago the farmers of the rich country
Whereabouts brought their wheat to be ground
and after the primitive miller had chalked
the number of bushels on their hats they
went to Miller Matthews office TO get their
cash. The place is in ruins now, but the man
slOn-DOuse near by IS In an excellent State OF
preservation. The Amber chemical-works is
In ght, where magnesium is made from the
Quarries elise at hand.
In the blue distance, family seen in the
quiyerng heat waves of this midsummer day,
are the hills of Valley Forge. Eighteen
miles away they are. tn be sure, but it is easy
to bridge the distance and the more than cen
turv of years aud see WashIngton's army
plOdding through the wintry storms, cold and
ragged and hear broken.
One can imagine the blood-s tanned tracks
on the snow and the frozen ground of the
valley Wonder after that memorable march of
December. III. The cleaning is coming
fast, and in the quiet Of the hills that is bro
ken only bv the hum Of insects and the twit-
ter of the birds in the trees the visitor pauses
for a moment in the shadow of a great Amer
lean poplar or tulip tree. Here IL is, tradition
whispers, that some continental soldier boys
are sleeping, though no shaft Of granite or Of
marble marks their last resting place.